Trickstermatt

Firstly I will start off by saying hello to everyone, um, Hi everyone.

Now the formalities are out of the way I will proceed.

After several weeks of looking for my next car and doing many hours of research on the top 10 choices I have narrowed it down to an Impreza, hence me being here. I have spent many hours looking at all the specs of the various options I have and I am very tempted to go for the WRX300. I have found quite a few few around the 5-6k price mark which is well within my budget. I am looking to stay pre 2006 for RFL reasons. This will be my first Impreza now that insurance is the affordable side of extortionate, so I come to you seeking some advice now.

Firstly, I have found a lot of people talking about the up-pipe imploding and going on an expensive vacation via the turbo, how common is this? I am aware of the preemptive options I have to prevent this from being a concern but would you say it is the first thing I should do? Unless of course it has already been done.

Secondly, I have been looking around to see who the most local 'specialist' is, for me it is scoobyclinic. I have read mixed reviews on these guys and I am wondering if this is similar to the kind of reviews you see on just-eat, where people only leave reviews if they want to complain, or if they are a good safe bet for myself?

Finally and most importantly I guess, the reason I have chosen the WRX300 over an STI is purely because I am a pratt and like to have things that are 'limited editon' etc etc, is the WRX300 a good choice? I am aware the STI has greater tuning potential but to be quite honest other than a few minor mods I doubt I will do much if anything to the car, so tuneability is not a real concern right now.

I am sure there are one million and one posts asking similar questions to the above, however what is the harm in starting a fresh discussion?

speedking

This one?

WRX300 is not an STi. STi is far more capable out of the box, it's not just about tuning. AFAIK 6 speed box, Brembo brakes, DCCD etc.

Trickstermatt

Thank you for your reply, i know the WRX300 is not an STI though , sorry if I made it sound like that is what I thought. I am aware of quite a few of the differences between the WRX and the STI but undoubtedly there are probably many I do not know.

Once again, thank you for your input

Trickstermatt

The one I have my eye on is a 2005 reg.

zayd

iTrader: (1)

If you can, you should drive both the WRX and the STI, then make your choice. Believe me I've had both and the STI is a much better car in every aspect.

LuckyWelshchap

Hi and welcome to the forum.

You say that £5-6K is well within your budget and you want a limited edition model. Have you considered a WR1 (which although costing more might still be within the ball park budget you have) ?
They are still non-emission based RFL. (My 55 T20 Hawk is £280 pa).

I'm surprised you've heard of up-pipes imploding. By their very nature they are pressurised and hence likely to explode, not that I've even ever heard of that happening.

Trickstermatt

Thanks for that pointer, just checked out the WR1, I must admit it is a very tempting option, it is a touch towards the higher end of my budget and at only a pinch over £20 per year more on insurance a very high possibility.

Extra power out of the box would be nice I suppose and with fuel efficiency not being that much different from the WRX300, ( although not really a priority other wise I'd be looking at a different marque I guess ), I might just have to look a bit more into these :-)

logger

Hi and welcome, ive no experiance of the WR1 but have owned a newage WRX and went to 45plate STI a much better base car, out of the box. I used scoobyclinic on my first car and can only say good things, just remember there prices are plus vat !!!! But i was very happy with the service i recieved. Heard a lot about the WR1 and if its in your budget i woul say drive them all. WRX, WR1 and STI And go for the one you like. At the end of the day its your money.

Trickstermatt

Wise words there :-) I do intend to drive any possible purchases, i was wondering though, I read a few different places the 5 speed WRX box was a smoother and more predictable change when compared to the 6 Speed in the higher output models. Is there any truth to this? Do the STI's and variants of have the up-pipe issues also?

I know I may seem to be getting paranoid about the up-pipe thing but having had to replace turbo's in the past on my , dare I say it, Saabs it is not a job that i truly wish to do again in a hurry as I no longer have a drive way plus my trolley jack mysteriously sprouted legs and did a runner shortly after the move. Although for all I know removing and re-fitting turbo's on Impreza's might be easier.

With regards to the scooby clinic I had a good look round their website and I personally thought some of their prices were quite reasonable, although the price for a plug change made my bottom pout!

Thank you to all those who have replied so far :-)

Firez34

iTrader: (5)

Hi mate and welcome!

If I was looking for a new motor at the kind of money you have I'd be looking at getting a very well sorted late model STI, P1, RA classic but that just me. If I was to go for any of the newage cars 2 spring to mind for me, Prodrive STI or a JDM STI nothing else would tempt me at all. Good ones are mostly above your above listed budget. Kev & the clinic in my experience are great guys and have bent over backwards in the past to help me out and I'm always on a tight budget but if your wallets full you can quickly empty there.
Whatever you go for save some spare cash for two reasons, 1 if something is wrong with it and you can't DIY you'll be in pain. 2 if everythings right with it you'll start wanting more for it

The main reason for the six speed box being included with the car for me is not that it's DCCD or stronger in the first place it's the cost if you bought a car with out to upgrade to it, the set up goes for around £2k and you've got to fit it. No brainer to buy a car with it fitted as standard. The plug change price seems steep but it's mostly labour. Change mine myself so I know the time involved.
Regarding the up pipe on newage I think it's the CAT breaking down inside that's the problem so decat that one with an aftermarket up pipe it will still pass an MOT without that CAT as the one in the down pipe does all the work.

LuckyWelshchap

If you replace the turbo you'll almost certainly have to remap.

I think I'm right in saying that in a car of the age/era you're looking at the turbos won't have billet wheels (unless upgraded/converted), so unless you get an exact replacement - dodgy due to the probable mileage/use - there will be a significant difference.

I totally agree with the advice re. test driving all models.
However, there is one important thing to remember, and that's the respective engine powers and suspension setups. A properly sorted WRX will appear far better than a dog of an STi.

No-one would want you to buy the former then find out what a sorted STi can do.

You'll see the advice of very knowledgeable people on here.
It would be worthwhile posting a link to any ad you are interested in and I'm sure people will advise.

Someone did a few days ago, and hopefully avoided an expensive mistake.

Trickstermatt

Do the plugs take quite some time to do then? I am not shy when it comes to doing my own vehicle repairs but i am getting to the stage where there are some things I just don't want to do again. I do enjoy being able to carry out the majority of work on a car myself but I am sure people know what I mean when I say some things are best done with a receipt.

You are correct, I understand it is the cat in the up-pipe that has the longing to be positioned post-turbo, I am aware in my original post I said I did not want to do much if anything to the car I get, however would it be worth going after market with the headers to or is that just an extra unnecessary expense?

Trickstermatt

Well the car I have been looking at most frequently is http://www.mallyvillecarsales.co.uk/...01317510971638 that one.

I have been looking through all currently available STI's and WR1's and if I go for an STI would prefer to get one in standard guise however I am struggling to decide what colour I prefer now there is a choice hehehe.

LuckyWelshchap

Seems reasonable enough (then all ads are if you forgive the cynicism).
There should be more than 9 stamps for 65K.

It's got a non-standard spoiler, so that makes it either an unlimited edition WRX 300 or a very limited enhanced limited edition WRX 300, if you get my drift.

It's £500 less than one on Ebay btw.

To be honest you could look everywhere, every day and find what looks to be a 'better' one, either power, looks, model/edition, colour etc. etc.
And I almost guarantee that after you buy whatever you choose a 'better' one will come along.

There's no right and wrong (apart from choosing a duff car), each to their own taste.
My latest isn't my favourite colour, but the looks, performance and history did it for me.

GLWTP.

Trickstermatt

Hi again LuckyWelshchap,

From more investigation it turns out the spoiler fitted to it was an optional extra when the car was new, there were a few different options you can have additionally added to the WRX300 this included P-FF7 alloys, the spoiler, brake upgrade and suspension upgrade.

I know what you mean about a better car always turning up after you buy yourself one, it has happened to me many times. I know what you mean about adds always looking reasonable, but when I go to look at and test drive cars over the next few weeks I wish to go armed with as much knowledge as I can.

How many stamps should there be for 65k miles? I guess that there may be documented history other than the stamps, invoices and such from independent garages or what not.
Would be something to check for sure though.

Thanks for your reply, that is the kind of help I am looking for :-) Although after your mention of STi's earlier I am looking around and finding all sorts and starting to get a headache separating the wheat from the chaff. These Wr1's really have got me intrigued though, they are towards the upper end of my budget but still within it :-)

Trickstermatt

I have just stumbled across a few JDM Twinscroll spec cars, I am working on the assumption these are imports, am I right in thinking this? I know it is probably ignorant of me to assume that, but every other make of car I have looked at before that are JDM have all been imports. One of the adverts said it has been in the U.K since new, although I was disappointed to see if had wrx plain black seats :-( Actually on the subject of seats do any of them have airbags in the seats or are they easily changeable without warning lights flashing up?

LuckyWelshchap

I believe the service intervals are 1000, 5,000 and then every 5K, which puts the number of stamps at approx. 14 (if the 65K one has been done). Gaps will show where it wasn't officially serviced.

The cambelt should have been replaced as well I think (not sure if it's 75K or 5 years, whichever comes first ?).

One of the other posters mentioned about having a pot in reserve, just in case. What you don't want is a car that's about to need a major service.

One thing I do when I buy a car is ask for 12 months MoT on it. It can be done at any time and if there's anything non-engine (apart from emissions) that should find it out, including advisories. £50 is not a lot to pay to sell your car, especially if the buyer is willing to pay near the asking price.

I've never driven a WR1 but there's an owners' club forum, and I'm sure someone on there would also be able to offer advice.

Trickstermatt

I have done a bit more research after your post as this alarmed me somewhat, I have heard that Subaru4you are meant to be very good and upon inspecting their very informative website it appears that the service interval for 2001-2006 models is 10k, if this really is the case then technically it has the right amount of stamps, i always thought the service interval was less than 10k, if the cambelt has not been done I guess if I go and look at the car and go for it then I may have grounds upon which to haggle a bit :-) as that should have been done at 5 years or 50k . I will have a pit set aside just in case however as you say I don't want to have to use the pot to do what should have been done.

LuckyWelshchap

JDM stands for Japanese Domestic Market so, yes they will be imports.
Briefly, the cars are higher spec, engine and goodies, eg. a stronger block and internal components, and electric folding door mirrors. HOWEVER they are primed to run on higher octane Japan fuel, so have to have been remapped for UK juice. The key issue is that the importer did things properly, including correctly changing Km to mileage. (There's one on Ebay saying 104K miles, it having been imported at 96K Km 'so it's only done about 5,000 miles'. I think not - more like 44,000 miles !!).

I haven't a clue about seat airbags. All mine have been steering wheel.

In short, JDM's give you far more latitude for your money/performance improvement desires (for you will have them). But then, there's no such issue with Uk's as long as you keep in the low-mid 300's I understand.
There are however, far more experienced members than me on here.

LuckyWelshchap

Phew !
Sorry to have worried - and mislead - you but glad to have pointed you in the correct direction.

Trickstermatt

Please do not apologise, it is exactly this kind of help I need, people making me look into things I may have not considered is good.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

The WRX 300 is not very sought after at all and is a marketing ploy. The model was a run out Blobeye and Subaru threw some goodies at it and a badge or two. IM Subaru still fitted a cassette player FFS on their UK cars!

It says 265 BHP but no mention of Prodrive Performance Pack which it would need, unless a aftermarket remap as been applied but again no mention. It should have a certificate or the correct coloured hoses on the intercooler or turbo.

The WR1 was a much better car and is an official Subaru UK Limited Car to celebrate Solbergs WRC Rally Title.

JDM cars as mentioned have better spec and power out of the box. Most should be run on Momentum or V Power negating the need for a remap as it's the same grade in Japan. Underseal was not a priority on JDM cars but most (unless they are new imports) have it done.

The spark plugs are a pain due to their location but with a little fiddling they can be done on the drive.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Just noticed the woefully inadequate tyres too, Maragoni!

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Oh and the spoiler is from a UK300 WRX Impreza Bugeye. Or as an aftermarket upgrade at around £600 at the time from Prodrive.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

And a chav valve .

It's starting to fall apart for me.

Trickstermatt

Chav valve?

Trickstermatt

Oh I did not notice the dump valve, well that can be undone, as for the ppp it does say in the description that is has ppp kit fitted, obviously I would want to see the certificate to prove this. Even if it is a run out blob eye edition why is that bad?

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Overpriced. STi money if you look around.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

https://www.scoobynet.com/showthread...5#post11084555

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

^^ get it bought.